A Date Before Christmas
by Arisu-ArtnFics
Summary: On Christmas Eve most people spend the holiday with friends others with family or with lovers but for Marinette and Adrien they were all three. They were cherished friends, they were caring lovers and most importantly they were family and no matter what happened that day they would not let anyone separate them or disrupt there happiness.


**Beta by:** spider-momo (& a bit deadvampire32).

**For:** _galahadwilde_r as to say Merry Christmas, I'm your secret santa!  
I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy creating it for you ^^ ^^

This is a gift as part of the _mlsecretsanta_ interchange.

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**Imagen: **To be find on my social media (AKA Tumblr, DeviantArt and Facebook).**  
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It was the 24th of December, in the late morning. Marinette and Adrien were sitting in a coffee shop close to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. It has been roughly six months since they started dating and since they revealed their identities. The reveal had been accidentally actually, they weren't supposed to know. It all changed since Ladybug aka Marinette Dupain-Cheng officially became the new guardian. The rules said that if they knew each other's identities for their own sake, they should stop being the heroes that everyone loves. Even when both of them knew this rule, it changed just after they revealed.

Marinette knew that she couldn't confide those miraculous to any of their friends because Hawk Moth knew already about them and couldn't put them again in danger like that. Also, it was the fact that even when they knew the truth about the person behind the mask, not much had changed. They still had to keep making excuses and act like they didn't know as well as keep trying to fight the akumas and of course, win. Hawk Moth and Mayura always keep them on edge and with too little time to rest. Considering all that and more, Adrien helped Marinette to decide that the correct course of action in that case was just to keep being Ladybug and Chat wasn't really any time to get new heroes to be Ladybug and Chat Noir, or well to become the new holders of the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous.

When the reveal happened not that long after Master Fu lost his memories and Ladybug became the new guardian, in that precise moment was a lot of panicking from both of them. After a couple of seconds both teens had their own different reactions, between some laughter and 'can't believe I didn't notice before' to 'can't believe that Alya was always right' and reactions like some sobbing and more. Then they had a big conversation between them, explaining some of the misunderstandings, more laughter and some tension in between them as well had freed itself. In conclusion, after they actually discovered and confessed some feelings from both sides, they decide to give them a chance. Adrien actually was the one that had to bring the question and suggestion. They had to also confess that they were in a way of 'moving on' but not entirely as they seem to be falling again for the same person without them knowing.

Now, six months later, - on the day of Christmas Eve - they are trying to have a not interrupted date. Marinette and Adrien were wearing their winter clothes, sitting inside of the coffee shop enjoying some hot chocolate. Their Kwamis were with them, hidden from everyone but them.

"So, Mari," said Adrien "after here, are we supposed to go and get Alya and Nino's gifts?"

Marinette made a face unsure, "Mmmm… I suppose so, but I thought that you already have the vinyl disk that Nino wants so much?"

"Yeah, I do," he replied while reaching to a bag that he also had and pulling it out. "Just thought that maybe you wanted to find something else?" passing it to her.

"This is the same as the one you have at your house, the one that he used to DJ in the party, right?" Marinette asked while admiring the disk, she would never understand DJing but was happy their friend did and enjoy it so much.

"It's the same," Adrien replied with a smile.

"Good, because actually I don't really want to go shopping today. I mean, c'mon Adrien it _is_ Christmas Eve after all." With that she returned the disk to Adrien so he could put it away.

He chuckles a bit ,"True," Adrien smile.

"Phew, you got me worried for a bit, Kitty," Marinette returned the smile.

"Ahhh, poor Bugaboo," he said with joy in his tone.

Marinette roll her eyes but also was failing to hide her amused smile. "All right, then we don't need to worry about it. I got Alya the super special microphone that she dreamt and talked about having so much," said Marinette.

"She definitely will love it. You are indeed a great friend Marinette," Adrien said with a huge smile that goes from ear to ear.

"Why are you so happy about it?" asked curious Marinette knowing that Adrien maybe had something 'funny' in mind, well something that was probably funny for him like a pun or so.

"Heh, nothing special… just a friend" he said and then laughs a bit.

"Oh my..." Marinette said "it was _you_ \- as I learned thanks to Plagg, - " she looked to Plagg very fast.

"Anytime, kid," Plagg said from one of the bags next to them who was eating a piece of cheese.

"That was calling _me_," Marinette continued, "'just a friend'" she said while making quotation marks with her fingers.

"I know," Adrien said once he stop laughing "but still makes me laugh," he shrugged.

"Of what?" said Plagg again, "How stupid you could be?"  
"Plagg!" said Tikki from Marinette's bags, who was eating a cookie.  
"Hey!" said Adrien at the same time as Tikki spoke.

Marinette just laughed a bit.

After a second or so Adrien also laughed at himself again. They needed that, they need all the fun and good moments that they could get. They really didn't get much free time even at this time of the year. Anyone else would have thought that thanks to the winter break it should be less stress or trouble and so less akumas but it was quite the opposite, sadly, for the heroes.

Sadly, it didn't take too much longer until what they had been avoiding to happen so far during the day was happening. An akuma was once again at the door of their school. That's how the accidental reveal happened in the first place. Since Hawk Moth learned that almost all the previous heroes as part of the now not existent team, were indeed from there; that had been his target. Once he learned that information, even though that could mean putting Adrien in danger, Gabriel had insisted that the school was the perfer target for the akumas, it had to be there or close to it that the civilians of the heroes are. Gabriel had thought that the heroes must go to that school, it couldn't be a coincidence for so many former heroes to be there. Even Chloe was from there, although the whole of Paris did learned that she found the Bee miraculous, didn't mean that she didn't find it in the school.

The heroes this time, after hearing the screaming and destruction caused by the akuma, decided to 'hide' in the respective toilets. They did as always, even with the knowledge that they obtained all this months ago, the superheroes were acting as just partners and nothing else. Even though Adrien and Marinette were dating, it was like a silent agreement that happened so long ago between the two. Without really a verbal agreement, they synced their replies and kept telling anyone who managed to ask them about that, they are just good friends and partners like nothing had really changed. That's how everything seemed to everyone outside their knowledge that is technically all of Paris. Ladybug and Chat Noir were more sync than ever, they had been defeating the akumas even faster than before. It was like the knowledge of their identities only helped them grow as heroes rather than something else.

Once the battle finished and all returned to normal, they got out from their 'hiding' spot. They decided that maybe was time to go to Marinette's place. They planned to go to the coffee shop and then just have a relaxing day enjoying the company of each other. They also wanted to make sure they had their friends' presents for the present exchange that was going to happen the next day in the late afternoon. Then they would part as Adrien was promised by Gabriel to have a Christmas dinner together and Marinette was going to have hers with her family as well.

The Dupain-Chengs had invited the Agrestes as a family (basically just Gabriel as Adrien were supposed to be there already) however Gabriel denied the invitation, but said thank you anyways, Gabriel had insisted that he be the one that gives his son the Christmas dinner and traditions that the Dupain-Chengs mentioned during the invitation.

That's how Marinette and Adrien were back to the bakery a few hours before the big celebration started. They didn't want to be apart, but they knew that sooner or later the 'Gorilla' was going to pick Adrien up from there. Marinette and Adrien decided that even when they weren't about to spend Christmas together, they were going to enjoy as much as they could. Even when an akuma had interrupted yet again another date. They did spend their time together as they were just one happy family. Tom and Sabine were with the kids as well, as they play some video games and have some Christmas like activities that could be done before dinner time was due and Adrien had to leave.

"Oh, sorry," said Adrien in the middle of another round of Mecha IV once his phone sounded with a notification of a text message, that he decided to ignore, he knew well enough that it should be the Gorilla waiting from him to take him home.

"Oh no, now?" asked Marinette with a small pout, even though she knew that it was about time that his bodyguard had to come.

"Sadly, yes, but hey bugaboo, don't be sad..." he hugged her with just one arm, they were sitting one next to the other anyway, and just like them, Marinette's parents were also sitting next to each other.

"Mmm..." said Marinette with a big pout and very exaggerated expression of sadness that Adrien knew well by now as the little trick to conform to her or in this case as 'don't want you to go, not yet'

"I'll see you tomorrow in the afternoon, you know," said Adrien trying to ease the feeling. He didn't like it either.

That's when the door bell sounded, and Sabine stood up to open the door. After a very short while, Sabine called everyone down saying that it would be a change of plans. That took Tom by surprise, who had also gotten down the stairs to leave the kids for a moment alone, but was in the back of the bakery rather than at the door. Once Adrien and Marinette got down the stairs hand-in-hand, they actually got very surprised seeing who was at the door.

"Good evening," greeted Gabriel Agreste who was standing there in from of all at the door of the bakery.

"Father?" asked Adrien very surprised to see his father outside. "Wh-?" said confused with the fact.

"Adrien" said Gabriel after a moment.

When Sabine opened the door she never thought that she would see him outside of his mansion, less at the door of their house. To be surprised was an understatement. That's why before Gabriel could say anything at all, she turned to see inside and called everyone else to the door. Gabriel knew to expect some kind of reaction but never thought that Sabine would get his intentions so fast. When Tom appears a couple of seconds later as he was just in the next room, he only managed to agreed in silence with Sabine when the mentioned of change of plans were done. They did wait for the kids before they opened the door completely and allow Gabriel to get inside with the Gorilla that had been driving him and Nathalie.

"That's your father..." whispered Marinette to Adrien very surprise or more so than Adrien was in that moment. She also squeezed Adrien's hand a bit and he did the same back to her.

"Adrien," Gabriel repeated again.

"Hey, let's get comfortable, c'mon Gabriel, let's get inside," said Tom after a while before it gets weird between the Agreste - well more weird than now.

"Right..." said Gabriel after a moment and got inside.

"Father," said Adrien with a smile understanding the intentions of why he was here personally.

"I got this," said Nathalie given a bunch of presents to Sabine so she could put those under the Christmas tree.

"Right," said Gabriel and then he indicated the Gorilla to help Nathalie to move the gifts inside.

"You know, you didn't should have, but thank you," said Sabine as she also grabbed all the gifts and made sure that everything was under the tree in order.

"Thank you Father," said Adrien with a huge smile without letting Marinette's hand go.

"I..." Gabriel sighed "I keep thinking on what the Dupain-Chengs said when they invited us..." That made Adrien smile even more. That had been a conversation that he wasn't supposed to hear but he did and couldn't negate that some nice traditions are better with whole families or some very close friends.

"Oh" was the only replied that he said happily.

And so, the Agrestes had a nice Christmas Eve, with the Dupain-Chengs. Marinette and Adrien couldn't be more happy. Gabriel who had refused at the beginning to spend the celebrations with someone else, had changed his mind after meeting the family of the girl that had stolen his son's heart, and who knows, maybe had softened even a tiny bit of his cold heart. The family had been cheerful even after he denied the invitation saying that their proposed activities were strictly to be just for family members and nobody else.

What Adrien had heard that he shouldn't have was the fact that the Dupain-Chengs had explained that family does not always mean blood, but closeness. That fact, after all the months that Gabriel had known the family was what had gotten him off guard. He is Hawk Moth and he was doing it for his family, but right now, he wasn't so sure. Because who knew, maybe one day in a very far future, this always happy family - even when there were akumas attacking them or such things happened close by - would be his as well.

The end  
:D :D

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**Note:** This was wrote before the episodes of Chat Blanc or Blanche and Felix air but after the finale of season 3. sAs it aired./s


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